Light signals
Lights may be used to supplement or replace waved red, yellow,
green, blue and white flags. When lights are to be used at an
event they should be described in the Supplementary Regulations and the following requirements should be respected.

As I read it, lights can either supplement OR replace flags. So they are either equal to or less than flags. Without access to the Supplementary Regulations for the event, they could be either.

Considering both cases:
– If the yellow flashing light following the green flag was a supplementary light, the flag has precedence, therefore racing could begin and continue at the waved green flag (light supplement incorrect).
– If the yellow flashing light replaced a flag, then it is an independent flagging position. Racing may occur between the waved green flag, and the yellow flashing light.

That is my 2p. I will pipe down now. Let’s see if this protest happens, and how it plays out. Never a dull moment in F1 :-).

The lights can either be controlled locally, or by race control. I suspect in this case it was race control. Race control should also direct a flagging station what to flag via radio. It is possible there was a miscommunication – it happens, even with the highly professional marshals that work these events.

(PS Apparently I they are marshals not marshalls – apologies for my spelling errors)

@f1rollout – Consider the order in which the flags and lights are seen in the video.
0:14 – Yellow light
0:15 – Green flag
0:25 – Green light
The light at the end of the straight (0:25) is the first track signal situated after the marshal’s post showing the green flag. This would confirm that a green flag was in effect for the stretch of track after the marshal’s post.

@nanof1 – As I mentioned, it is very hard to judge distances using onboard camera, given the distortion of the lens and camera angle. As for whether Vettel deployed KERS before passing the post, the yellow light on the KERS display seems to come on simultaneously, or slightly before. Should the FIA decide to investigate it, the telemetry from RBR should be able to clarify this.

@Keith Collantine
If I understood it the complete article is like this text:

179bis. Right of review
If, in events forming part of a FIA Championship, a new element
is discovered, whether or not the stewards of the meeting have
already given a ruling, these stewards of the meeting or, failing
this, those designated by the FIA, must meet on a date agreed
amongst themselves, summoning the party or parties concerned
to hear any relevant explanations and to judge in the light of the
facts and elements brought before them.
The right of appeal against this new decision is confined to the
party or parties concerned in accordance with the final paragraph
of Article 180 and the following Articles of this Code.
Should the first decision already have been the subject of
an appeal before the National Court of Appeal or before the
International Court of Appeal, or successively before both of
these courts, the case shall be lawfully submitted to them for
the possible revision of their previous decision. The International
Court of Appeal may take up the review of a case that it has
judged, either on its own initiative or upon an appeal in review
brought by the FIA President or by one of the parties concerned
and/or directly affected by its former decision.
The period during which an appeal in review may be brought
expires on 30 November of the year during which the decision
that is liable to review has been handed down, if that decision is
likely to have an effect on the result of a championship.

That Means thar If FIA do not investigated it by thenselves with the new elements, Any parties concerned, (Ferrari, Alonso, Mercedes, Schumacher, Toro Rosso or Vergne) can appeal to the International Court Appeal.

@nanof1 I don’t think so. As I understand it the “any parties concerned” part refers to anyone protesting the outcome of the FIA’s new investigation, if there were one.

For example, say the FIA makes a new decision, e.g. “Vettel overtook a car under a yellow flag”. As a consequence a “party or parties concerned” (e.g. Red Bull) would have a “right of appeal against this new decision”.

On an unrelated note, as a former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt better make sure he handles this one carefully if the FIA goes anywhere near it.

@Matt McKenna
Matt very interesting, is important to say that your marshall screen shot is from lap 3 when the light in front of it were green, in lap 4 the light were yellow flashing, like anybody can see in the onboard video that I post on page 8 or 9.

Slightly off the topic of the yellow versus green debate, but is there any telemetry (or other information) on whether Vergne was deliberately slowing to let Vettel past anyway? I know those STRs have been shocking this year, but Vergne was tucked up behind the car in front coming out of the corner, by half way down the straight he looked at least 5 or 6 car lengths behind them when Vettel overtook.

Perhaps we should discuss potential penalties if he were penalised for either flags or KERS use and which of those penalties change the outcome of the championship.

I assume a drop of two places (19.2 seconds) is all that is required as Vettel finished +9.4 secs in 6th place and 8th place was Vergne at +28.6 seconds. Therefore either DSQ or 20+ second penalty would drop Vettel 4 points.

Does anyone know if anyone has ever avoided a penalty for ignoring flags or been given less than a 20 second penalty? I can’t remember any.

The irony perhaps in all this is that if the STR of Vergne, had slowed down another 0.8 seconds before crossing the line Vettel could have been handed a 20 second penalty with no change to the championship result. Amusing considering that is the driver Vettel passed.

Wat I would love to know more about (from the fia) is why for the same accident (Maldonado):
– the straight line is under yellow at the beginning of lap 3 (can see the marshal at the exit of the pit lane showing a yellow)
– then when vettel comes (still on lap 3), the straight line is green. There’s no light on the dash of the red bull on the onboard and the light is green on the right at the exit of the curve.
– then the straight is yellow again on lap 4 but only with the light whereas the marshal seems to show a green flag.
(All of this can be seen from the onboard race link posted above)

It looks like somebody don’t really know what to do. How can the driver know much? And why at the beginning there is a yellow in the straight as there is nothing wrong there.

@Matt McKenna
Sorry Matt I could not see BBC video cause it is not available in my territory, If you check this video on board in real time, you can see that Vettel Overtook Marusia in Lap 3 on green lights (in front of Marshall post) and Vergne in Lap 4 on yellow flashing lights. When I see the A3 video (F1 TV Holders in Spain so I suppoused that it is the same video than BBC, because is the same signal all over the world) I can see the same screen shot that you took on lap 3.